Delhi Capitals Vs UP Warriorz, WPL 2024: Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris Hold Nerves In Nailbiter As UPW Win By One Runs - As It Happened

Welcome to match 15 of the Women's Premier League 2024 between Delhi Capitals Women and UP Warriorz. Without a day's break, UP Warriorz are facing hosts and table-toppers Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The stage is set for a contest between Australia's former captain and present captain leading both the WPL teams. The Alyssa Healy-led UP Warriorz was handed a 42-run defeat by Mumbai Indians in yesterday's game. Deepti Sharma waged a lone war with the bat. The rest of the UPW batters failed to impress. And for Delhi, captain Lanning along with Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Alica Capsey are in sublime form. Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen have also contributed well. Jonassen also holds the purple cap at the time and her performance today will be the key to Delhi's success. Follow the cricket scores and updates of the DC-W Vs UPW match in WPL 2024 here. (Streaming | Full Coverage | Schedule And Points Table)

UP Warriorz have won the toss and have opted to bat

Teams:

UP Warriorz (Playing XI): Alyssa Healy(w/c), Kiran Navgire, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Shweta Sehrawat, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Khemnar, Sophie Ecclestone, Uma Chetry, Gouher Sultana, Saima Thakor

Delhi Capitals Women (Playing XI): Meg Lanning(c), Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Annabel Sutherland, Jess Jonassen, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Taniya Bhatia(w), Shikha Pandey, Titas Sadhu

Alyssa Healy | UPW Captain: We are going to have a bat tonight. We played on this wicket last night and hope to learn from it. We know we need to win the remaining two games. We have not beaten Delhi. Two changes in the playing XI.

Meg Lanning | DC-W Captain: We realise that each team has the potential to win on the night. We want to perform well tonight; it's a nice test for us. It (the pitch) looked fairly good, with a speedy outfield. It's good to have an even boundary. Sutherland enters the playing XI.

It is the same pitch that was used for yesterday's match. The centre pitch - dimensions are the same as well - 55 metres on each side. The straight boundary is 65 metres long. The pitch looks clean and god to bat on. No dew so expect a high-scoring game today as well.

Kiran Navgire along with captain Alyssa Healy opened the batting for UP Warriorz and Shikha Pandey opened the bowling attack for Delhi Capitals. With a boundary on the last delivery, she conceded just six runs off the first over.

UPW - 6/0 (1)

Titas Sadhu was introduced in the second over and she dismissed Kiran Navgire on the second delivery of the over after she hit a boundary on the first. Deepti Sharma is promoted up the batting order as she joined Alyssa Healy.

UPW - 15/1 (2)

Shikha Pandey came to bowl her second over and conceded 11 runs including one wide, one no-ball and a boundary.

UPW - 44/1 (6)

Capsey catches the big fish! She presumably anticipated the batter to walk out of the crease. Bowls it slowly and somewhat shorter on the outside off. Healy is nowhere near the ball's pitch and attempts an aerial stroke, only to fumble it in the air off the toe of the bat. Sutherland had a fairly straightforward catch at long-on.

UPW - 58/2 (9)

Arundhati Reddy came to bowl the second over of her spell and removed the new batter Tahlia McGrath on the fifth delivery on an in-swinging ball. McGrath couldn't do much about it.

UPW - 63/3 (10)

Lanning smiles broadly. Radha Yadav bowled well. After witnessing the batter dance down the track, she bowled it slower and wider. Grace Harris tosses her bat at it, losing form in the process. Slices it in the air off the outside edge, and Jonassen makes a smooth grab at point.

UPW - 95/4 (14)

Tossed up a full-length ball that dips on the batter, Khemnar looks to flick and closes the bat face quickly. Gets a leading edge, and Radha gets low in her followthrough to snag it.

UPW - 109/6 (16)

Deepti Sharma fought the sole war against the perfect line & length bowling of Delhi Capitals and completed her fifty. She smashed a six before Shikha Pandey dismissed her in the last over. With the help of her fighting knock, UP Warriorz have set 139-run target for Delhi Capitals Women.

UPW - 138/8 (20)

Brief Score: UPW - 138/8 (20)

Deepti Sharma - 59 (48), Alyssa Healy - 29 (30) | Radha Yadav: (3-0-16-2)

Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma pair opened the innings for Delhi Capital and left-arm orthodox spinner Gouher Sultana came to bowl the first over. She conceded nine runs off the first over.

DC - 9/0 (1)

There were a few glares exchanged between the hitter and bowler before this, and Saima Thakor came out on top. Shafali Verma comes down the track and hacks straight over the line, missing and hitting the top of the off-stump. Excellent delivery and Delhi lose their first.

DC - 22/1 (4)

Tahlia McGrath came to bowl the ninth over and she conceded eight runs off the over. Alice Capsey played a beautiful boundary on the second delivery.

DC - 53/1 (9)

Capsey attempted another one, was floating up in the middle again, and after initially backing away to make some room, she leant in and went for a slog sweep, but didn't quite get the time right, and it went straight into the waiting hands of Grace Harris at deep mid-wicket.

DC - 69/2 (11)

Jemimah Rodrigues played all six deliveries of Tahlia McGrath's second over and with the help of two doubles and one six and a single, she managed to extract 11 runs from her over.

DC - 111/3 (16)

Deepti Sharma is turning the tides at Arun Jaitley Stadium. She has taken a hat-trick and now over-hat-trick. She dismissed Annabel Sutherland, Arundhati Reddy and Shikha Pandey on the first, second and fourth delivery of the 19th over. She just gave five runs and took three wickets and now DC need 10 runs in the final over.

DC - 129/7 (19)

Radha Yadav smashed a six on the first ball of the final over as the player dropped it near the boundary rope and it went past the line. Now, 4 needed off 5 balls.

DC - 135/7 (19.1)

Grace Harris bowled Radha Yadav on the third delivery and two runs still needed off three balls.

DC - 139/8 (19.3)

Taniya Bhatia missed the ball and while stealing the single Jess Jonassen lost her wicket. Now equation is two needed in two balls.

DC - 139/9 (19.4)

Titas Sadhu came when two runs were needed in two balls and she holed out to the short long-off. UP Warriorz won the match by just one run.

DC - 139/10 (19.5)

Deepti Sharma came to bowl the 19th over when DC needed 15 runs with six wickets in hand. Set batter Jess Jonassen and Annabel Sutherland were playing. Deepti bowled Sutherland on the first delivery and got Arundhati Reddy on the next to complete her hat-trick. Shikha Pandey came and smashed a four but she caught and bowled her on the next delivery to complete three in the over. Radha Yadav came and gave a single to Jonassen who played a dot delivery on the last ball. Grace Harris was called to bowl the final over and Radha hit a six on the very first delivery to make the equation 4 off 5 balls. She took a double on the next ball but Harris bowled her on the next. Yastika Bhatia came and missed the ball and while trying to take a single, Jonassen lost her wicket. Now, with one wicket in hand, DC needed two runs in as many balls. Titas Sadhu gave a simple catch at long-off and DC lost the match by one run. UPW still remain alive in the race of top three with this win.

Disappointed not to win; we believed we were in an excellent position to do so. Full credit to the Warriorz. My wicket certainly had a small role in it; I was the set batter and had to take it a bit deeper, putting pressure on the rest of the team. We probably didn't play as well as we might have under such conditions, but as captain, I shouldn't have put my squad in that situation. We obviously accomplished a lot of things properly, including pulling them back at the end and batting fairly effectively. It only goes to show that if you can't keep it together for 40 overs, it's difficult to win.

I thought, "This is cricket; anything can happen." What a fantastic cricket game to celebrate International Women's Day. Probably did not receive the relationships we were looking for. We discussed 150 being a competitive total. I believe Deepti did really well, but we needed a couple more collaborations. We didn't really feel like we'd won until we got that last wicket. You never know when two out of two are required and you just need one wicket. I can't criticise the girls, regardless of the outcome; I'm proud of their efforts. We remained calm when necessary and completed the task at hand. Very proud of the girls.

I backed up my strengths and shots. Was thinking about what shots were on and assessing the scenario. I was thinking about how we might bowl dots to the set batters; I enjoy difficulties when bowling as well. (When asked if she realised she had scored a hat trick, she said, "No, I didn't." I am always ready for a caught and bowled. I was always thinking about how we might get the game back. I want to keep the process the same; there is no end to learning, and I want to continue learning.

What a game it was! We probably witnessed the best match of the season and that too on International Women's Day. UP Warriorz are still alive in the race of top-three with this win. We will be taking your leave now. That's all from our side. Thank you for joining us. Goodnight!